article

Muskox and man in the central Canadian Subarctic 1689-1974

Arctic • 30 (3) • Published In 1977 • Pages: 134-154

By: Burch, Ernest S..

Abstract

Based extensive archival research, Burch studies the distribution and harvest of muskoxen in northern Manitoba and southern Nunavut from the late seventeenth to the early nineteenth centuries. The muskoxen were abundant in the region at the time of European contact, however, by 1900 they were nearly extinct. Burch attributes this demise to overhunting by Eskimo and Chipewyan hunters. He discovers that muskoxen were always an important food source for both groups, albeit second to the caribou. Burch suggests possible reasons for the near extinction of muskoxen in the region, including the decline in the caribou population, use of firearms, a market for both muskoxen flesh and hides, and an adaptation- of a more sedentary lifestyle by both groups.

HRAF PubDate

2000

Region

North America

Sub Region

Arctic and Subarctic

Document Type

article

Evaluation

Document Rating

4: Excellent Secondary Data

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Ian Skoggard ;1999

Field Date

1968-1971

Coverage Date

1689-1900

Coverage Place

Manitoba and Nunavut, Canada

Notes

Ernest S. Burch, Jr.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 150-154)

LCCN

gs 50000281

LCSH

Chipewyan Indians